A Journey to His Heart
by scrapsofpaper
Summary: Rasputin believes he has the perfect plan to destroy Anastasia when he vows to make her fall in love with him.
1. Chapter 1

"This time I have something really cruel planned..." Rasputin smiled evilly at Bartok.

"Oh dear," Bartok sighed. "Master, what are you planning?"

Rasputin rubbed his hands together and narrowed his eyes at Anya's newspaper clipping sitting in front of him. "I'm going to make her fall in love with me..."

Bartok's eyes widened. "Well, that's a new one. Master, I think the maggots may have gotten to your brain a bit too much lately. What possible purpose would that serve?"

"Don't you see, Bartok, for all that she's done to me, for all the stress she's caused me, I will kill her in the worst possible way. I will make her fall in love with me, be willing to do ANYTHING for me... Then take her from those she loves, and kill her right in front of them."

Bartok gulped. "Okay, Master... Sounds a little bit much. Let's say though, for question's sake, how do you possibly expect her to fall in love with you? I mean, you're not... Well... You're..."

"Are you saying I'm not ATTRACTIVE?" Rasputin bellowed at the bat.

"No, no! Of course not... I mean, of course you are! You're quite handsome, if I do say so myself!" He laughed nervously. "It's just, well, you did happen to kill her whole family. I'm pretty sure the girl isn't your biggest fan."

"Ah, that is solved simply with a love spell. My reliquary should give me that ability." Rasputin picked up the glowing, green talisman and stroked it. "Come, my minions, find her and do my bidding!" Tiny Demons climbed out from the top, a red mist dancing around them, and flew toward the window of the tower.

Rasputin grinned maliciously at the bat. "I will make her suffer even greater than she could possibly imagine... There's no greater pain in the world than to be killed by someone you love. If she had just died like she SHOULD HAVE, this wouldn't have had to happen. She's brought it on herself by awakening my anger. And now she will pay."

Bartok shivered. "Excuse me, Master, but I don't want any part of this. This can only end in tears." Before the mad monk could stop him, he flew out the window.

"Pooka!" Anastasia called, running after him down the palace steps. "That silly dog..."

Pooka ran faster, barking, into the palace gardens. Anastasia frantically chased him. "Pooka, stop! What's the matter?"

The dog ran further still. Sighing, Anastasia chased him under an archway, not noticing when it sealed behind her.

She stopped, no longer hearing Pooka's barking. "Where could he have..." She stopped when she heard a deep whisper.

"Anastasia..." She turned around, eyes wide.

"Anastasia..."

"W-who's there?" She began to back up as a red mist surrounded her. She tried to scream, but the mist filled her mouth, her nose, traveling down the front of her dress into her cleavage. Invisible hands lifted her dress and let the mist underneath. With a moan, she fell down and fainted.

Rasputin waved his hand and appeared, approaching her slowly, smiling. "My dear Anya, you look so vulnerable... If I wasn't a gentleman..." He looked her up and down, slowly. "I forget though, I'm not a gentleman... But we'll save that for later, in front of your loved ones. Oh, how I will relish this..."

He kneeled over her as she awoke. Her eyes fluttered open as she saw his face. Overcome, she reached up and brought his face to hers, kissing him long and thoroughly. She sighed happily, threading her fingers through his long beard.

"Oh, Rasputin, my Rasputin! I'll do anything for you, my love..."

Rasputin smirked, and stroked her face. "I know, my dear, I know... There is one thing I would have you do."

Anastasia shot up and beamed at him. "Anything, my love, just name it!"

"Your family, they have caused your Rasputin a lot of pain. Even your Grandmama. She should not be in your life, if you want me. You do want to be with me, don't you?"

"Yes! Yes, of course I do!" She grabbed his rough hands and looked earnestly into his brown eyes.

"Good, my sweet." He sighed, looking down at her. "Then I need you to come into the ball with me now and tell them the truth. That you love me, and want nothing more to do with them. Will you do this for me, my love?"

She nods. "I will have nothing to do with anyone who has hurt you, my darling. Don't fear! You're safe with me!"

"Good, my love, good. Then come." He offered his hand and she took it.


	2. Chapter 2

Anastasia and Rasputin took the back way into the castle, and stood behind the heavy red curtain covering the entrance to the ballroom. Anastasia pulled it aside and peeked through.

Rasputin put his hand on her back. "Go on in, my dear Anya. Stand up at the balcony and tell everyone. They need to know how much you love me, and that no matter what they do, they cannot tear us apart."

"I will," She told him resolutely. "But aren't you coming with me?"

"I'll be in in a moment, dear." He stepped back as Anastasia went through the curtain, and stepped out to face the crowd in the ballroom.

Out on the balcony, Anastasia was greeted by her Grandmama. The Empress hugged her, but Anya's returning hug was stiff.

"My dearest Anastasia! What took you so long?" Concern filled the old woman's eyes.

"I had some business to take care of." She replied shortly. "Are you going to get on with it and introduce me?"

The Empress's eyes widened. "Umm, yes my dear..." She gave Anastasia another concerned look. "Sweetheart, is everything all right?"

"Yes, I just want to talk to everyone."

"All right then." The Empress stepped forward and clapped her hands twice. The music stopped; all of the couples in the room stopped dancing and looked towards her. Excitement filled their eyes as they glanced over at Anastasia.

"My dearest subjects, I know you all have been anxious for me to introduce my granddaughter, the long lost daughter of Nicholas, Imperial Russia's last czar."

Anastasia stepped forward to the railing and faced the crowd. The Empress gestured to her, and everyone clapped and cheered.

"My dear, do you have anything to say?"

"Yes, I do." Anastasia took a breath. "I want it to be known that I am in love with the most handsome, wonderful man. He is the light of my life, and the only thing I live for. Many horrible things have been done to him, but nothing can tear us apart now. His name is Rasputin."

Rasputin walked out from behind the curtain with a flourish and gave a mock bow to the Empress. She gasped.

"Rasputin! But how can it be? You're dead!"

"Death is only temporary, my dear." He walked over and put his arm around Anastasia, who snuggled into his shoulder.

The Empress cringed. "Get away from her!" She rushed towards them, ready to tear Anastasia away from the evil man. Rasputin raised his reliquary and she froze in place.

"I have been betrayed by your whole family, and now little Anya will suffer for it as you watch. She'll do anything for me now, as I've cast a love spell on her. I'm going to kill her, finally, and have my revenge!" He looked down at Anastasia. "But, not until I've had some fun in front of everyone she loves, to make my victory even more sweet."

He reached for her dress, and started to unbutton her bodice. The crowd and Empress looked on in shock until Dimitri ran out from behind the curtain.

"Anastasia! I'm so sorry, I made a terrible mistake. I love you, and I didn't take the money. I -" He stopped and stared as he saw Rasputin unbuttoning Anastasia's dress. "What... What is going on?"

Anastasia caressed Rasputin's hands as he slowly undid her buttons. "Dimitri, I'm sorry. I can't love you, my heart belongs to him." She smiled up at Rasputin, who gave her a returning smirk.

The Empress shouted at Dimitri from her frozen state. "She's under a spell, Dimitri! She doesn't know what she's doing! Rasputin has risen and is taking his last revenge on her family. He's going to kill her. Please do something!"

"There's nothing you can do boy," Rasputin smiled darkly. "She is mine now!" He pushed Anastasia's dress off her shoulders, and slid it down her waist to the floor. He turned her around to face the crowd, and moved his rough hands slowly up and down her naked form. He sighed. "It's been far too long since I've felt a woman's body like this."

Slowly, he slid his hand in between her legs, sinking two fingers into her folds. She moaned. He began to move his fingers up and down as she ground against them.

"This is outrageous!" Dimitri cried, his hands balled into fists. "I'll make you pay for this!"

"Come over here and try then, boy. Or perhaps you'd like to watch. I know you fancy her. I've watched you two. You pathetically following her around like a lost little puppy. It'll be nice for you to at least see what you'll never have."

With a growl, Dimitri rushed at Rasputin. As if swatting away a fly, Rasputin waved his reliquary at him and stopped him where he stood. Dimitri struggled in fury, unable to move his feet.

"I tire of this." Rasputin turned Anastasia around to face him. "I will make you all watch as I kill her." Grinning, he pulled a knife from his robes and drew it across her throat.

He looked at the crowd and laughed in victory. "Finally, the last of the Romanov line is dead! I have my revenge!"

"I love you so much, my darling!"

Rasputin quickly looked down as he felt someone hug his waist. Seeing Anastasia, unharmed and very happy, he gasped.

"What? How is this possible? How are you not dead?" He quickly drew the knife across her neck again, and groaned in frustration when the cut healed as quickly as he had made it.

"Sweetheart, you'd never want me dead! How could you say such a thing?" Anastasia hugged him again, and he quickly shoved her off of him.

"Drat!" He clenched his fist. "This must be a side effect of the spell... What do I do now? Get OFF me, girl!" He cried angrily as Anastasia hugged him again.

"BARTOK!" He called frantically for his bat.

In a few moments, Bartok had flown in through an open window to his master's side. "Yes? Master, what is it?" Seeing Anastasia hugging Rasputin, he smiled. "That's so sweet! Master, have you finally set aside your differences with Anastasia at last?" He fluttered around them. "I knew your heart would soften! Can I be the best man at your wedding? Or... best bat. I'm not picky!"

"No, you fool! I just can't kill her! There must be a problem with the spell!"

Bartok's face fell in disappointment.

"Do something!" Rasputin said, angrily.

"Well, I don't know what you expect ME to do, I'm just a bat." Bartok furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Curses! This isn't the end! There must be some way out of this!"

"If you say so, master." The bat grinned happily again. "I still say you two make a wonderful couple, though!"

Rasputin growled angrily at Bartok as he waved his reliquary. In an instant, Dimitri and the Empress had unfrozen, and Rasputin and his doting bride had disappeared.

Dimitri turned to the Empress. "I'm going to fix this, I promise you. I won't lose her again!"


End file.
